The shooter genre has been around in the gaming industry since the early 1990s, with id Software's Wolfenstein 3D, and later Doom, popularizing the first-person shooter genre. Over the last few decades, countless shooters have released, but despite all of their differences, one common element runs through them all, the existence of a shotgun - and Resident Evil 4 Remake is no different. No matter whether the game has a Sci-Fi setting, Wild West, or modern-day, there's guaranteed to be some kind of shotgun, and of them all, Resident Evil 4 Remake's might just be the best.
Essentially popularizing the third-person shooter genre as gamers know it today, the original 2005 version of Resident Evil 4 broke new ground when it came to atmosphere and action, and one of its biggest highlights was the game's impressive array of upgradeable weapons. And one of the biggest standouts in Resident Evil 4's arsenal is its selection of powerful shotguns. But while the original's shotguns packed a mean punch, they don't hold a candle to Resident Evil 4 Remake's arsenal.
How Resident Evil 4 Remake's Shotguns Compare To Other Iconic Gaming Shotguns
Shotguns have forever been some of the most satisfying firearms in all of gaming. While a pistol can get the player out of a bind, an assault rifle is the go-to for action-packed sequences, and a rocket launcher can decimate vehicles, it's the shotgun that really delivers the most unabashed fun. Over the last 30 years, there have been plenty of iconic shotguns in gaming.
Beginning with the one that started it all, Doom's shotgun is a stellar first example, reducing demons to messy piles of viscera with just one shot. Years later, Halo's M90 shotgun would take the spotlight, renowned for its iconic visual design, reload animation, and sound design. In more recent years, Gears of War's Gnasher, Call of Duty's Model 1887s, and Doom Eternal's Super Shotgun have all proven that they're among the best in gaming.
What makes all of these iconic gaming shotguns stand the test of time is their impressive cocktail of technical features. For a start, the shotgun just needs to look cool and imposing, with its heavy central barrel being an instantly recognizable feature. Next, the shotgun needs to sound good. The best shotguns in gaming all sound suitably horrifying, with their loud crack echoing through hallways.
The reloading and firing animations also need to look smooth and weighty, with a final pump of the under-barrel being a common sight. And finally, every iconic shotgun needs to evoke a suitable reaction from its targets, whether it's blowing them into meaty chunks, or blasting them a few yards back.
The original 2005 version of Resident Evil 4 had a few different shotguns, all of which feel fairly impressive. Resident Evil 4's first shotgun comes at the perfect moment, given to the player right as the infamous chainsaw man comes barreling toward them. The player quickly finds out just how powerful this shotgun can be, sending the horde of Ganados flying backward with just one shot. Both the Riot Gun and Striker have a similar effect on foes, and when fully upgraded, these shotguns prove even more deadly.
The Resident Evil 4 Remake takes things one step further, with improved technical features elevating the game's shotguns far past where they originally stood. While the original Resident Evil 4 shotgun felt good to fire, with the recoil animation suiting the power of the blast well, it's been turned up to 11 in the remake, with the sound now echoing realistically off the walls of the environment, and enemies now being blown apart in realistically gruesome ways. PlayStation 5 players have it even better, with haptic feedback from the DualSense controller making each shotgun shot feel even more intimidatingly impressive.
Resident Evil 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
